Tibetan Buddhism (Revised Edition)

Author: Hongxue (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Buddhism is one of the three major religions in the world. It originally spread in the Ganges River basin of central India. During the period of the Maurya Empire, Emperor Ashoka declared it the state religion, extensively built stupas, and inscribed edicts and teachings on cliffs and pillars. From then on, it spread to many regions of the Indian subcontinent. At the same time, he sent Buddhist missionaries to neighboring countries to spread the teachings, reaching as far east as Myanmar, as far south as Sri Lanka, and as far west as Syria and Egypt. This gradually made Buddhism a global religion. In the process of development and spread, Buddhism gradually formed two major schools: the Southern School and the Northern School. The Southern School is found in southern Asia, including Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and the Dai ethnic areas in southern Yunnan Province of China. This school belongs to the Theravada tradition, commonly known as the "Lesser Vehicle," or the Pali-language Buddhist tradition. The Northern School is found in northern Asia, including China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, and Vietnam. This school is commonly known as the "Greater Vehicle."